Reversible plating yarn feed for circular knitting machines



DEC. 22, 1931. K HOW|E REVERSIBLE PLATING YARN FEED FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Feb. 6, 1930 ynl nn lly IIIII llllglll llllllll IIII llllllllllll Iv Il ',I ll lll llllatentecl Dec. 22, 1931 UNITED `STATES -lnxra'lw'r ori-"ica KENNETH HOWIE, OF NORRISTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T0 WILDMLAN MTG. 00.,l

OF NORRISTOWN,

PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION QF PENNYIVANIA REVERSIBLE IPLTIN G- YARN FEED FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING- MACHINES .Application led February 6, 1930. Serial No. 428,288.

My present invention relates toimprovements in circular knitting machines and more particularly it relates to a reversible plating yarn feed for such machines.

An object of the invention is the provision of a mechanism Which will reverse the yarn feed fingers so as to reverse the yarn in the plating effect in the fabric in an effective and accurate manner and with simplicity and sturdiness of construction.

e Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The inventionJ consists vin the features, combination, and arrangement of partsvh'ere# out in the claims.

In the drawings, i

Fig. l is a plan viewv of the mechanism embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 1s an elevation of portion of the mechanism; y

Fig. 3 is sectional view taken substantially on line 3-3 0fFig'.1'; L

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detail rear'view inafter described and particularly v pointed of a yarn feed finger showing the flattened-v portion at the ben in the linger. c f

In the drawings, 1 represents the sinker to the feed oint or notch 2 of which is fed the arn rom yarn feed fingers 3 and 4.

arn feed fingers are mounted e guide plate 5 for vertical movement therein, the guide guide brac ret 64 by screw7, the yarn guide racket 6 being in turn adjustablyv secured to the cam ring 8 by clamping screw 9 in slot 53.

The yarn guide bracket supports the yarn guide arm 10 having yarn guideapertures 11 and 12 through which the yarn 13 and 14 passes respectively to yarn feed lingers 3 and 4. i

The yarn feed fingers 3 and 4 comprise angularly bent tubes mounted forlongitudinal sliding movement in the guide late 5. The tubes with their longitudinal ma]or portions slidable substantially vertically in the caf feed sfinger.32151; provided vexten dsv between' collar '22 late being seciired to the yarn screw 32 to the'l feed' vfinger Lnear end to provideanfadjustablestop for limitm downward movement of the feedinger 4 an guide plate 5 and their laterally turned low er ends for delivering the yarn in a substantially horizontal direction across the feed point or notch 2 o`f the sinker .1, are linked together by means of link 15. Link 15 so connects the movable feed lingers that when one vis up the other. isdown and thus one yarn is fedabove the `other at the feed point. The movable feedngers arev arranged sol that their Vhorizontal delivery orti'ons` are lout r.of

mately one above: the; other'.

4The 'jl'nk 15".. vsl fpivotallylf mounted :on-the guide plate 5 at 28"andpivotally'engages at its ,endsl withl-p'in's v. ltjand 1 e' extendin 'through'slotsZB-'and 27 and fixedly mounte l f on the feed;fingersl'and,-4f'as1b' the yarnguide l and 23 having 'setfsfc'r w`s`124..

tionv 1 8 providingfashoulder 1y mounted atits opposite en lide line and may pass each ot er, sinceqasshown the mouths of theituljmlar fingers areapp'roxi 25 of theguid `para 5.1.'rheqzfegd'fingers 3 and 4 project through aligningbores inA upper and lower guidefportions :29.* and 25. *The projection ispreferably intheiform of an.

adjustable lcollarhavingia set screwl 30 for fixing it to the tubular feedlinger. A member Blfsimilarto memberf18 is secured by set consequently limiting upward movement of to the yarn -guide bracketfat 36. The other arm 37 of the bell crank" 35 extends across the row of needles 38 and preferably carries its up er pivotally connected i at its free end a roller 39 adapted to ride upon the surface of cam wheel 40.-

The cam wheel 40 is adjustably mounted for rotary movement upon a forked supporting arm 41 fixed at 42 to a bracket 43 adustably mounted upon the cam ring 8 at 44.

he cam wheel is provided with peripheral teeth 45 adapted to engage the needles in needle row 38. As indicated by the arrow the needle row 38 may rotate with `respect to the cam ring 8, and the cam wheel40 is rotated by reason of the engagement ofthe needles with the teeth of the camwheel.

A. two part adjustable cam 46, 47 is mounted upon the wheel 40, the parts 46 and 47 being arcuate in shape and having their faces in contact. Each part has a fiat portion 48 and the inclined cam ends49 are at opposite extremities of the two part cam. The part 46 is fixed upon the wheel 40 while the part 47 is mounted for arcuate adjustment relative thereto, to increase or decrease the length of the two `part cam. A slot 50 in art 47 cooperates with a clamp screw 51 to t is end.

Even at the minimum adjustment the inclined ends 49 of each part projects beyond the abrupt end of `the other part, to provide cam inclines for gradually elevating and lowering the roller 39 of arm 37 of the bell crank.

In the operation of the device, as the needle row 38 rotatesV with respect to cam ring 8," th'e cam wheel40 is rotated. With the parts in the position shown inFig. 1, the roller 39 is engagin the fiat surface of the wheel 40 and the tu ular yarn feed fingers and assov ciated parts are in the position shown in Figs. A'

2 and 3, with the arm 19 exerting no force upon the feed finger 3 and the spring 21 holding the finger 3 up and the finger 4 down, which causesthe yarn of finger 3 to be fed to the sinker 1 above the yarn delivered by feed finger 4.

Upon rotation of the'wheel 40 from the position shown in Fig. 1, the cam 46, 47 will engage the roller 39 and lift the arm 37 of bell crank 35 whichwill cause the other arm 34 of the bell crank lever to lift the extension 33 of presser arm 19. This will de' ress the arm 19'about ivot 20 and the fee vfinger 3 will be pushe down and held so-during the passage of the cam 46, 47 beneath the roller 39. The feed finger. 4 will be raised upon depression of finger 3 and their delivery ends will pass each other and will be reversed in `position with the feed 'finger 4 de- Vlivering its yarn above the yarn delivered by the feed finger 3 thus reversing the platingeffect in the knitted fabric.

he extent of the adjustment of cam part 47 with respect to the part 46 determines the length of time that the feed fingers are held in reversed position and the extent of Vthe reverse plating effect in the fabric.

The roller 39 is of sufficient width to span the width of both parts 46 and 47'and hence invention within which modifications may be made.

I claim: v

1. A reverse plating arn feed mechanism for circular spring nee le knitting machines havino lsinkers and having a cam ring and a nee le row adapted for relative movement, yarn feed fingers mounted on the ring and movable with respect'to the sinkers, a cam wheel having teeth en aging the backs of thel needles and rotata ly mounted on said ring, said cam wheel rotating in a' substantially horizontal plane and having a cam surface on its upper face and operating connections between the cam and the fingers comprising a bell crank lever pivotally sup ported by the ring, one arm of said bell crank riding on the cam surface, an arm pivotally mounted on said ring and engaging one of said feed fingers said arm having an extension be ond its pivot engaged by theother arm o the bell crank, link means inof the one moves the otherl in the opposite direction, and a sprin urging the'presser engaged fingerupwar y.

2. In a reverse lating yarn feed mechanism for circular itting machines having. a cam ring and a needle row adapted for relative vmovement, the combination of a bracket mounted on the ring, a planetary wheel having a cam surface mounted upon said bracket and having toothed engagement with the backs of the needles to be rotated thereby, yarn feed fingers, a uide plate in which said fingers are movab y mounted, a yarn ide bracket to which said lateis secure an arm pivoted to said brac et and engagin a yarn' feed finger toy move the same, a ell crank lever pivoted to said yarn guide bracket, one arm of said bell crank operating said pivoted arm, and the other arm of said bell crank riding on said camv surface, a link connecting said yarn feed fingers so that theymove oppositely, and a feed mecha'- needle row to be rotated thereby, said cam surface comprising a fixed arcuate raised itting machines having toothe engagement with the need es of the Y said I to move the portion and a movable arcuate raised portion adapted for arcuate adjustment relative to the fixed portion to increase or de'- crease the extentY of the combined raised portions.

4. A reverse plating. yarn feed mechanism for circular spring needle knitting machines having sinkers' and having a cam ring and a needle Arow adapted for relative movement, yarn feed fingers movably mounted on the ring and with respect to the sinkers, a cam Wheel having peripheral teeth engaging the needles of the row and rotatably mounted on saidring, and means in engagement with said feed fingers and controlled by said cam 4fingers relative to each other, said cam wheel having an annular earn sur- -face the extent of which is adjustable,"said cam surface being provided by a fixed raised portion and a movable raised portion, and a clamp for holding the movable portion in adjusted position relative to the fixed part to increase or decrease the length of the combined raised portions.

5.77111 a reverse plating yarn feed mechanism for circular spring needle knitting machines having sinkers and having a cam ring and a needle row adapted for relative movement, a yarn guide bracket adj ustably mount ed u racket, a pair of yarn feed fingers slidably mounted in said guide plate, link means interconnecting the movable fingers so that movement of one moves'the other in the opposite direction, said feed fingers having laterally turned lower ends mounted to pass each other to position one above the other to feed the yarn at different levels to the sinker to reverse the plating effect in the fabric, and means controlled by said relative movement to position the yarn feed fingers in reversible relation one up and one down.

In a reverse plating yarn feed mechanism for circular spring needle knitting machines having a row of sinkers and having a cam ring and a needle row adapted for relative movement, yarn feed fingers supported upon the ring for movement to and from the feed point of the sinkers, a link connecting said fingers so that When one is up the other is down, and means controlled by the said relative movement to position the fingers in one offset relation or the other, said means including a planetary Wheel having a cam surface and carried by said ring and having planetary toothed engagement with the needles of the needle row and rotated thereby, and lever means carried by said ring and in engagement'with said fingers and said cam to determine the offset position of the fingers according tothe cam surface. A

7. A reverse plating attachment for spring needle knitting machines comprising the toothed cam wheel driven by engagement Wlth the backs of the spring needles, said on the ring, a guide plate secured to 

